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Central Saanich says goodbye to Sassy’s Restaurant

More than 100 people mark closure of famed family restaurant after 43 years
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Long-time owner of Sassy’s Restaurant Cory Porter (second from right) and his daughter Jen Porter (right) watch during the closing ceremony for the restaurant Sunday afternoon. The restaurant closed after 43 years. (Courtesy of Shonie Cooper)

“Awesome — no 5:30 alarm!”

That’s how Cory Potter described his Monday morning, mere hours after more than 100 people stood outside Sassy’s Restaurant in Central Saanich to mark his closure Sunday afternoon.

If Porter claimed the eternal right of the retired to get up as they pleased, the memories of Sunday’s closure were still fresh.

“I felt overwhelmed, honoured,” said Potter. “All these people turned up for one thing, and then they said such nice things, it was like, ‘wow, I guess I was doing something right.’”

The restaurant located at the intersection of West Saanich Road and Keating Cross Road closed after 43 years as Potter wants to spend more time with his wife, who recently received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The business remains for sale.

RELATED: Long-time family restaurant to close its doors in Central Saanich

RELATED: Staff says goodbye to Sassy’s Restaurant in Central Saanich

Potter’s daughter Jen Porter described the closing ceremony as amazing and overwhelming.

“I was really touched to see the outpouring from the community, for my dad and the staff. It was pretty incredible,” she said. “I grew up in that restaurant, and saying goodbye to it was very sad,” she added.

Chrissy Olsen, who worked at the restaurant for 25 years and helped organize the First Nations ceremony that marked the closure, said Monday she wasn’t sure what to do while checking in with her colleagues over text. But she, too, still thinks back to the outpouring of community support during Sunday’s closing ceremony.

“It was really nice, heartwarming,” said Olsen.


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wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com